UPDATED: Empire State Building Shooter Was a Women's Accessories Designer

Like everyone else in New York, we were shocked and saddened this morning when news broke of a shooting outside the Empire State Building. Mayor Bloomberg gave a press conference around 11:30 AM to give the details of the case so far, and though the investigation is still in early stages, they have confirmed the identity of the shooter--and he used to work in fashion.

The shooter, Jeffrey Johnson, aged 56, was a women's accessory designer for six years for a company called Hazan Imports, until the company downsized a year ago, at which time he was laid off. A Google search of Hazan Imports gives an address on 33rd between 5th and 6th avenue, though it was stated during the press conference that the shooter did not work in the Empire State Building itself. He had an altercation on the sidewalk with his victim, who was reportedly his former manager. He then shot the victim in the head with a .45-caliber pistol, though not much is yet known about the victim whose identity is being held until family can be notified.

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WWD is reporting that Hazan Imports is a privately owned company, listed under "imports" with an estimated annual revenue of $5 to 10 million and 10-19 employees.

A total of nine people have been wounded, some of whom were possibly accidentally shot by police in crossfire, but all are reported "unlikely to die." The two fatalities were the gunman, shot by police, and his victim, a 41-year-old male.

Our thoughts are with the victims of today's tragedy.
UPDATE:WWD is now reporting that gunman Johnson worked for Hazan Imports in their graphics department, working on line sheets and catalogues, not as a handbag or accessories designer as originally reported.

Additionally, the victim has been identified as Steve Ercolino, Vice President of Sales at Hazan Imports. Until now, the last time Hazan Imports had been in the news was for a 2003 lawsuit from Louis Vuitton for copyright infringement.

Cameron Diaz is taking a break from making out with Jaime Lannister working on new film The Other Woman to try her hand at working in fashion. So what could it be--A high-end line of boys undies? Teeny tiny bikinis?
Surprisingly, it's shoes and bags. Diaz has been named artistic director of mid-priced accessories line Pour la Victoire, WWD is reporting.

You might be surprised that we haven't written about Stevie, an Etsy jewelry designer known for her state charms with a little heart punched through each one. Stevie was quite upset because Urban Outfitters allegedly mimicked her design. "My heart sank a little bit [when I saw this]," Stevie confessed on her Tumblr.
As bad as I felt for Stevie, I didn't put the story on yesterday's schedule. We write about rip-offs pretty consistently, but this just didn't sit right with me. Hadn't I seen these little charms before?
Since the story broke, Urban has pulled the style from its website. And Stevie seems to be experiencing unexpectedly high sales in wake of the situation. She reports on her Etsy page that "Orders will take a bit longer due to the overwhelming response to Urban Outfitters! Please give me 3-4 weeks to create and ship your items! xo."